Oh la la baguette!

There's nothing quite like a fresh loaf of baguette with it's crisp crust and soft, chewy inside. It's delicious all by itself, but magically transformed into something even better with a little pat of butter. With a good baguette in my hands, I often relive fond memories of a summer spent in France as a student, and find it almost irresistible to keep eating until the whole loaf is gone. Alas, those who know how it is made also know there's very little of nutritional value in baguette. So I seldom make it, but when I do, it is something special to me.

The summer I spent in France, I lived with a family in the Pyrénées near the French-Spanish border. They served baguette with lunch and dinner. Usually, a couple of whole loaves sat in the center of the dining table and everyone broke off a piece of baguette for themselves. It was the best baguette I've ever had… but maybe I'm just getting a little nostalgic here because I've certainly had some very good baguette outside of France, and the recipe I use is nothing to scoff at, either.

I've made baguette for years, experimenting with different flours and baking temperatures at times, but the best baguette is still just made with simple white flour, water, salt and yeast. Trying to make it "healthier" doesn't necessarily make it better. When something tastes good, people are happy, and, in my unscholarly opinion, I'm sure feelings of happiness increase our serotonin levels, lower stress and contribute to better physical health and longevity. I'd bet if researched, my opinion could be supported. : )

Here's the recipe for baguette that I've used for years. It is from one of my favorite cookbooks, called Rustic European Breads from your Bread Machine:

Pain Ordinaire

1 1/4 cup water

3 cups flour (I like bread flour)

2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

1 tsp. salt (kosher or handcrafted sea salt have a nice flavor)

Put all the ingredients in a breadmaker and process on the dough setting. Afterwards, shape the loaves, let them rest for about 30 minutes, brush the tops with egg wash (1 egg white mixed with 1 Tbsp. water), cut three slits into the top and bake at 450 degrees F for about 20 to 25 minutes. Baguette is best eaten fresh. I like mine almost fresh from the oven. Enjoy!